Beacon Coalition is a 501(c)(4) that engages in education and advocacy centered on the stance of our political leaders on Jewish wellbeing. Our affiliated group, Beacon Coalition Political Act Fund, is committed to empowering candidates who treat the wellbeing of their Jewish constituents as seriously as they do the rest of their constituents.
Beacon Coalition was organized in October 2023 when it became clear that voters lacked reliable information on candidates’ documented expressions of antisemitism. We are beginning our work with a focus on Western Pennsylvania.
Beacon Coalition acts in the interest of protecting the rights and wellbeing of Jews in the United States. Using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism adopted by the United States and more than 40 other countries, we vet candidates for political office to identify those whose documented words or actions fit this definition of antisemitism. The IHRA guidance includes numerous examples that create a solid framework to target increasingly normalized hate speech that justifies or encourages violence against Jews, denies the right of the State of Israel to exist, or supports white nationalist movements. The IHRA guidance does not forbid criticism of the State of Israel and does not preclude membership in any political party.
The American Jewish community has long needed an independent voice to identify the politicians who are truly undermining our wellbeing, regardless of political party and their other positions. Our methodology for evaluating candidates will be evidence-based: We will share the documentation we uncover of candidates’ biases. When we interpret candidates’ biases as harmful, we will share our reasoning. Additionally, we aim to identify candidates who speak and act to protect their Jewish friends and neighbors. Whether or not voters accept our interpretations, Beacon will serve as a gathering point for the kind of information Jewish voters and their allies need. We will help voters to be more confident in where they place their political support.
Although our work will address the political system and politicians, we will be beholden to no government nor party, only to the Jewish American community. We will offer support to candidates who treat our wellbeing as seriously as they do the wellbeing of all their intended constituents.
To our non-Jewish neighbors, who may be skeptical of the need for our organization: Antisemitism has often been the canary in the coalmine of a failing political system. When we normalize hatred and violence against one group, we sanction the use of hatred and violence against all groups. In a time when American democracy is already weakened, we call out with urgency that antisemitism corrupts democracy. For all our sakes, we ask you to incorporate mainstream Jewish voices amongst all the voices of minority communities that make up the fabric of American society.